Creating Dashboards and Storytelling with Tableau

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/dataviz-dashboards

Introduction

### Course Review: Creating Dashboards and Storytelling with Tableau #### Overview "Creating Dashboards and Storytelling with Tableau" is an advanced online course offered on Coursera that builds upon foundational skills from the previous course, "Visual Analytics with Tableau." This course is essential for anyone looking to take their data visualization skills to the next level, giving participants the tools to create compelling dashboards and tell impactful stories through data. With a focus on marrying the goals of stakeholders with the needs of end-users, this course prepares learners to convey complex data narratives effectively. #### Course Structure The course is divided into four comprehensive modules, each crafted to guide students through key concepts and practical applications that enhance their Tableau skills. 1. **Planning and Preproduction: Aligning your Audience, Stakeholders, and Data** - This initial module emphasizes the importance of strategic planning. You'll engage in stakeholder interviews and assess your audience to distill the essence of your data’s narrative. By the end of this module, you’ll have developed a foundational framework for constructing your narrative, establishing the “who, what, why, and how” that guide your storytelling. 2. **Key Metrics, Indicators, and Decision Triggers** - Here, you'll dive into establishing the key performance indicators (KPIs) necessary for answering pertinent business questions. The course teaches how to create calculated fields and set thresholds for alerts and decisions. You will enhance your ability to make data-driven decisions and understand the quality and constraints of the data at hand. 3. **Dashboard and Storytelling with Data** - In the third module, the focus shifts to implementing Tableau’s six best practices for dashboard design. This segment not only covers technical skills, including the use of hierarchies, actions, filters, and parameters, but also teaches you how to uncover and frame your data story. 4. **Tell the Story of Your Data** - The final module broadens the perspective to include various storytelling techniques beyond Tableau’s capabilities. You'll explore neuroscience research related to storytelling and audience engagement, and you'll learn how to structure your narratives in ways that resonate emotionally with your audience. This module culminates with practical advice on framing and formatting your data story effectively. #### Why Recommend This Course? 1. **Practical Application**: The course is built on interactive learning and real-world application. You’ll work with your own datasets, allowing you to immediately utilize the techniques learned and see your skills transform in real-time. 2. **Expert Guidance**: The course is led by experienced professionals who guide you through complex topics with ease. Their insights help demystify challenging concepts, making them accessible. 3. **Holistic Approach to Data Storytelling**: Unlike many other courses that purely focus on technical skills, this course dives deep into the art of storytelling. Understanding both the data and the narrative enhances the overall impact of your presentations. 4. **Versatility and Career Advancement**: Mastering Tableau and data storytelling significantly boosts your marketability in various industries, including business, marketing, and consulting. The skills acquired through this course make you an invaluable asset in any data-driven decision-making process. #### Final Thoughts "Creating Dashboards and Storytelling with Tableau" on Coursera is a must-take course for anyone seeking to enhance their data visualization skills and storytelling prowess. It provides a comprehensive toolkit that balances technical abilities with narrative development, ensuring that participants can not only visualize data but also convey insights in a compelling manner. Whether you are a data analyst, business professional, or just someone passionate about data, this course will equip you with the skills necessary to elevate your professional standing and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform the way you interact with data—enroll today!

Syllabus

Planning and Preproduction: Aligning your Audience, Stakeholders, and Data

Welcome to the first module of this course! In the following modules, you will learn and work with concepts, tips, and techniques to help you explore data, identify meaningful findings, and then explain them through the power of data visualization and storytelling. In this module, you will be able to determine the who, what, why, and how of the story and discover the importance of planning before you start. You will be able to interview your stakeholders and assess your audience to find the right story in the data. By the end of this module, you will be able to define what a story is and build a basic framework for presenting your story. Let's get started!

Welcome to Module 2. In this module, you will identify the key metrics that will provide the answers to your business question. You will develop an understanding of the types of ways KPIs can be visualized. You will create calculated fields for KPIs to build a figure that will be used to measure progress in the data. By the end of this module, you should be able to set thresholds and create alerts to trigger a decision. We will also discuss the topic of quality and constraints of the data.

Welcome to Module 3. In this module, you will go from learning Tableau's six best practices for dashboard design. By the end of this module, you should be able to apply hierarchies, actions, filters, and parameters within Tableau. You will also review five videos associated with the topic and discover how to uncover the story in the data and be able to frame your story.

Welcome to Module 4. Although this course focuses on Tableau, we will look at a wider range of examples and techniques to help you become a better data storyteller. By the end of this module, you should be able to leverage concepts and techniques designed to help you become a more focused and compelling storyteller with data as the foundation. We will discuss ways to avoid unintentionally creating false narratives with good data. You will also learn about what neuroscience research tells us about stories, audience engagement, and decision drivers. You will use structural story elements to help improve the relatability of the story and explore ways design and textual elements can affect the emotional tone of a story. Lastly, you will learn how to frame and format the data story based on your design checklist. Let's get started!